Time After Time
by MaryFan1
Summary: One shot based on Star Struck Victims. After Olivia reams Amanda for leaking the undercover video than finds out it was Dodds


The gauntlet had been thrown down, of sorts. Amanda Rollins hadn't made the decision lightly but it was made. She came in early and left the transfer request on her boss's desk. After the reaming she got last night, for something she didn't do, she didn't see any other choice. Yes she'd gone undercover without getting authorization or even having back up. But she hadn't leaked the video. Her boss wouldn't even listen to her. Basically calling her a liar to her face. But how do you prove a negative? She had no clue who had done it. Now she just waited for whatever came next. A few minutes to eight. Olivia would breeze in any time. Today being a day Lucy had Noah instead of day care so she wouldn't have to drop him off. She had left last night while Olivia was in her office with Dodds so there had been no further discussion and frankly she had nothing left to say. She didn't do it and Olivia didn't believe her. That doesn't bode well for a working relationship. She knew she deserved the ass chewing for going undercover but she wasn't going to stay where was accused of something she didn't do. Just as she was trying to focus again on her paperwork Olivia walked in said a good morning to everyone, to which Amanda didn't respond, and went straight to her office, closing her door. A scant few minutes later the door swung open.

"Rollins, my office." It wasn't said with malice but with almost no emotion at all

Amanda got up, a sick feeling of dread washing over her, and walked into Olivia's office.

"Close the door, please." Olivia said

Amanda did as she was asked and stood there waiting. Although she assumed Olivia would happily sign the transfer request after what happened.

"Amanda, please sit down." Olivia asked as she took off her glasses setting them on her desk

"I think I'd rather stand Lieutenant." Amanda answered curtly

Olivia sighed, "I can see you're angry about last night."

"Being accused of something I didn't do and basically being called a liar kind of makes me angry." Amanda said trying to restrain her emotions

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose, "Amanda, you did go undercover without authorization or back up."

"Yeah, and I deserve to be reprimanded for that." Amanda agreed, "But I did not leak that video. I have no idea who did. But you wouldn't listen. So I think it's best for both of us if I transfer."

"Amanda, I know you didn't leak the video." Olivia admitted

Amanda's blue eyes widened

"Don't ask me how I know but I know." Olivia explained, "I know I said some harsh things and I am sorry."

"Thank you Lieutenant but if it's all the same I still want to transfer." Amanda responded, "I assume you'll sign the request."

"If that's what you really want." Olivia conceded only realizing now the damage done

"It is." Amanda confirmed

Olivia picked up the paper and signed her name, "I'll forward it to the Chief of Ds transfer division."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Amanda replied, "Excuse me, I have work to do. You'll let me know when it's processed?"

"Of course." Olivia assured her

She nodded and walked out of the office as Olivia watched her go. Never noticing the single tear running down her boss's cheek

Amanda sat back down at her desk. How did Olivia all of sudden know she didn't do it? She didn't just all of a sudden believe her.

_Don't ask me how I know _

Someone must have admitted to her they did it. She looked around Fin was on the phone and Dodd's…Dodd's was in Olivia's office when she left. He wasn't at his desk so she got up and found him in the break room.

"It was you." She said in what sounded like a cross between a whisper and a hiss

"It was me what?" Dodds asked

"You leaked that video and let me get my ass ripped by the Lieutenant."

He just stared at her.

"She just told me she knew I didn't do it but wouldn't tell me how. You were in her office when I left." Amanda said

"I didn't know she was going to…" Dodds began

"Save it." She snapped and walked off

Dodds took a deep breath and headed to Olivia's office and knocked on the door, "Do you have a minute?" he asked poking his head in

"Yeah, come in." Olivia replied

He walked in and stood in front of her desk, "You told her."

"Who?" Olivia asked confused then she knew, "Rollins? I never told her it was you."

"She just chewed me out. Said it had to be me since I was in here when she left and you mysteriously know it wasn't her."

"Mike, I'm sorry. It's not like she's gonna tell anyone." Olivia closed her eyes, "She's put in a transfer request. I had to tell her I knew it wasn't her. But the damage is done. She wants to leave. And part of me can't blame her. I had every right to be angry that she went undercover but I said some pretty harsh things to her. Basically called her a liar."

"I'm sorry. If I had known this would happen…"

"Well, it would have been nice to know before I ripped her a new one." Olivia admitted

Dodds nodded, "So there's no changing her mind?"

"I apologized but it wasn't enough. I don't know that there's anything I can say now."

He looked at her sympathetically, "I should have spoken up sooner. I'm your number two."

"Mike, this is between me and Rollins. There's…history there."

Dodds nodded and chose that moment to leave.

Olivia sat there thinking about what had transpired and what she could possibly do to rectify the situation. She really needed some wise words of advice and she knew who could help her. If they were in town.

/

Olivia walked into the café and smiled when she saw him waiting for her.

"Thanks for meeting me." She said as he stood up to hug her

"It's good to see you, Liv." He said as he pulled out her chair

"I need your help, Don."

"I can only guess it has to do with that video that was leaked to the news." He replied

Her eyes snapped up, "You saw it?"

"I do watch the news, Liv." He replied with a smile, "Rollins leaked it?"

Olivia shook her head, "I reamed her out for it. But then the person who did came to me confidence."

"Uh huh. So did you apologize to Rollins?" He asked taking a sip of water

"I tried." She said with a sigh as the waiter brought her coffee, "I wouldn't even listen to her when she said she didn't do it."

"There's more to this isn't there?" He observed

"She went undercover without authorization or back up." Olivia explained, "I had no idea so when I found out about that I reprimanded her. Then when the video leaked I assumed and now she's so pissed she wants to transfer. Had the request on my desk when I got in this morning."

"And you want her to stay?" Cragen asked

"Rollins is a good cop when her head's in the game. Good instincts. But I can't have her or anyone else going rogue like that." She replied

"Welcome to my world." He quipped

She looked at him and shook her head.

"It's different from behind that desk, isn't it?" He asked

"Yeah." She admitted, "Everything that happens is on me. The deputy chief comes after me if there's a mistake. 1PP up my ass. And I'm trying…I've got a little boy who needs me."

"Liv, you're not superwoman. Give yourself a break." He says, sympathy in his brown eyes for the woman who is like a daughter to him

"I may have driven away a good detective." She said, "How do I make this right?"

"I wish I knew. I did the same thing with Jeffries. Remember?" He asked

She nodded, "But you didn't accuse her of something she didn't do. But that whole sleeping with a suspect thing wasn't exactly what you thought or the shrink implied."

"It wasn't?"

Olivia shook her head, "I guess I can tell you since its ancient history but she met a guy in a bar and didn't realize until later he had been a suspect a year earlier but was completely cleared."

"Why didn't she say that?"

"Because her sex life was no one's business. Especially the Morris Commission."

"Well, like you said, ancient history."

"But Rollins isn't." She acknowledged, "Things have always been…tense between us and it's not all her fault. You remember my attitude at that time she and Amaro were hired and a couple of years ago she got herself in a mess with gambling. I don't know that I handled that too well either."

"I told her if she screwed up again she'd lose her shield." He said, "So I guess she's lucky it was you."

"You told me once I'd used up my get out of jail free card. Remember the Tanzic case."

"And you used up more than one, you know?" Cragen reminded her

"I know." She acknowledged, "And I probably didn't deserve it."

"I believed in you then and I believe in you now. Would I have wanted you to take over, even temporarily back then if I didn't?"

She nodded and smiled slightly

"I told Rollins I didn't trust her when that happened. That if we weren't so short-handed I'd transfer her." She admitted taking another sip of coffee

"It's usually not a good idea to have someone under your command who thinks you don't trust them." He pointed out, "She obviously screwed up but you should've just transferred her instead of having that hanging over her head, Liv."

"I know. But I guess she'll get that transfer now. Unless there's some way to work this out."

"Maybe she'll calm down. Just give it a day or two." He tried to sound encouraging

Olivia nodded but not quite convinced it would make a difference.

/

Amanda closed the door to her apartment and sighed heavily as she carried the grocery bags to the kitchen. Her sitter, Monica came out of Jesse's room quietly closing the door.

"Hey, sorry I'm so late." She said, "How's Jesse?"

"No problem. I'll help you unload these and head out if that's okay." Monica began putting things away, "Jesse's asleep. She's been good all day."

"Of course. Thank you so much." Amanda replied

They continued to put the few things left away and chatted a bit. Amanda paid her and Monica headed out and Amanda checked on Jesse to find her sleeping peacefully. She shut the door quietly and returned to the living room then went to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. After a while she decided to take a hot shower. She had just taken off her clothes when there was a knock at the door. She grabbed a robe and headed out of the bathroom with the baby monitor in hand. Looking through the peephole she was shocked to see her boss. Trying to compose herself she then reluctantly opened the door.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing here?" She asked

"I was hoping we could talk." Olivia replied, "It's difficult at the precinct. People interrupting, you know."

"Well, I was just getting ready to take a shower and I don't know what there is to talk about."

"Amanda, just give me a few minutes, please." She asked

"Okay." She opened the door and the older woman walked in, "So, what's so important?"

"I know you're angry with me and I can't really blame you." Olivia began, "I assumed something I shouldn't have."

"I know that I screwed up. Story of my life." She said, "Gambling, going rogue."

"Amanda, you're a good cop when your head's on straight." Olivia told her, "And I hate to lose a good cop."

"It just really hurt to be called a liar." Amanda responded, "I had no way to prove I didn't do it. If Dodd's hadn't…"

"About that." Olivia said, "Please keep that to yourself."

"So he gets protected for doing it but I get my ass chewed." Amanda replied bitterly

"It's more complicated than that." Olivia explained

Amanda shrugged, "Sure, why not. I'm leaving anyway."

"I was hoping there was a way to work this out. But if you still want to transfer I won't stand in your way. I don't want someone working for me who's unhappy."

"I know I broke the rules. I've messed up a lot." She acknowledged, "But I would never lie to your face, Liv. If I had leaked it I would have owned it."

Olivia nodded, "I was reminded today how many chances I was given by someone who believed in me when I probably didn't deserve it. I guess I forgot how important that is."

"It sucks being in charge, huh?" Amanda quipped

"Not all the time." Olivia said with a smile, "Look, can we maybe start fresh. You don't go rogue anymore, keep your head in the game and I'll remember that sometimes it's my people that need understanding and not just the victims."

"Copy that, Lieutenant."

Olivia just shook her head

"So you really got in trouble?" Amanda asked, "That's hard to believe

"I'll tell you about it sometime." She looked at the bottle of wine sitting on the counter, "So save a bottle wine for when I do."


End file.
